Research Studies

"Getting Punched: The Job and Family Clock"

Jodie Levin-Epstein
Center for Law and Social Policy, July 2006

A report, "Getting Punched: The Job and the Family Clock," released by the Center For Law and Social Policy (CLASP) argues that flexible work hours are a necessity for workers of all income levels. The report contends that by allowing workers to have flexible schedules and paid time off that enable them to meet family responsibilities, the workers as well as the businesses that employ them will be greatly benefited.

The report finds that due to the current inflexibility in scheduling for many workers, (primarily low-income employees who suffer the most) many men and women lose jobs or wages when they miss work to care for family members. This economic insecurity leads many young children to drop out to care for younger siblings or grandparents in the absence of their parents whom are forced to work or face termination.

Specifically, the report examines:

What U.S. workers contend with when it comes to juggling work and family, often with little access to flexible scheduling and paid leave to meet their caregiving responsibilities;
Why working conditions related to time matter for workers, families, and children – and in particular, for low-wage workers, who are least likely to have access to flexibility;
How improvements to the "clock" can benefit business – including bottom-line benefits like improved job retention, increased productivity and shareholder returns, and reduced health care costs; and
Why and how government has a significant role to play in shepherding more responsive workplace conditions for all workers – including low-income workers – so that workers at all wages can fulfill their responsibilities without themselves getting punched by the job and family clock.

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